Acid Base Index
Acid-Base balance of the body is very much necessary for the normal day to day functioning. pH is the factor which gives us the clue about the acid-base index of the human body. Generally, the pH of the human body lies in the slightlyacidic range. pH is referred to as the power of the hydrogen. It is measured on a scale of 14, in which, from1 to 7 lies the acidic portion and the rest that is from 7 to 14 lies the alkaline range. The pH of the human body is exactly is 7.35, that is, it is in between the range of the acidic and the alkaline. This pH range is highly dynamic and with the diet, it changes. Over increase or over a decrease in the pH might cause diseases in the human body.
Pregnancy and the pH of the body
Pregnancy involves a lot of changes in the body of a woman. Hormones and different other important biochemical elements are responsible for these changes. It also alters the pH of the body. pH changes can even alter the fertility factor for a woman as the body won’t be ready for the mating of the sperm and the egg to produce the embryo. And even if the embryo is formed it won’t thrive in abnormal pH condition. Thus pH in pregnancy is a very important factor which needs to be controlled properly. Proper diet will definitely help the body to maintain a healthy pH range.
Luteinizing hormone and the regulation of pH in Ovulation phase
The luteinizing hormone is the main factor which helps in the ovulation process after the mating of the sperm and the egg. The cervical portion of the human body is very much acidic as high acid content will prevent the body to be resistant to harmful microorganisms. However, during the active sexual reproduction, the luteinizing hormone helps the cervical region including the vagina to lift their pH to slightly alkaline zone just to give the sperm a safe passage for the entry as well as for seeking the egg in the woman’s body. The effect is up to 2 days in which the fusion of the sperm and the egg occurs.
Changes in the vaginal pH and its effects
Generally, the pH range of the vagina lies in between 3.8 to about 4.5, which, maintains the barrier between the microorganisms and the internal organs. However, change in the vaginal pH mainly in the alkaline zone will definitely cause a series of problems for the woman. They are
• Increase vaginal discharge
• Increase in vaginal odor
• Infection and other inflammatory diseases.
• Itchiness and other irritation in the vagina.
Problems like heartburn
With the increase in the hormone content, the pH level in pregnancy fluctuates a lot. During pregnancy, if the acidic content of the stomach increases due to consumption of random food, the woman experience the problem of heartburn. These types of problems can be cured with the help of proper diet and also medicines and the antacids.
